165. Memorandum of Conversation1
SUBJECT
- U. S. Attitude Toward Tunisia
PARTICIPANTS
- His Excellency Rachid Driss, Ambassador of Tunisia
- Mr. Ferid El Mouldi, Third Secretary, Embassy of Tunisia
- The Secretary
- Mr. Peter Spicer, Acting OIC, Tunisia
Ambassador Driss referred to his recent vacation in Tunisia and to the conversations he had had there with President Bourguiba and with Foreign Minister Bourguiba, Jr. The Ambassador said that he had already reported his impressions to Mr. Palmer.2 President Bourguiba was disheartened and had asked many questions; the first of which was, “What was the strategy of the United States toward Tunisia?” “If Tunisia is worthy of being helped, why are there so may difficulties?” The President had noted that he had been waiting since 1964 for an indication of U.S. intent on the military question and that he was still awaiting the results of the Clowes mission. President Bourguiba must consider the total situation and draw his conclusions. The Ambassador said that he had tried again to explain the problems of the American Government to the President, but that, in reply, the President had displayed a press clipping in which members of the Congress were praising Tunisia. In addition, even should the Government of Tunisia understand the problem, it is difficult to placate young people and Party militants.
The Secretary said that Mr. Palmer had informed him of the Ambassador’s reflections and that we well understood the restlessness about the delay in decisions. There had been no change in our attitude toward President Bourguiba and toward Tunisia. We are still hoping that President Bourguiba’s visit can be worked out. The question of military assistance to Tunisia was now under study at the highest, Cabinet, level. All preliminary study had been completed. There is a great problem with Congress; a problem now being discussed in joint committee, and we are hopeful of a compromise. This is a very bitter question, an amendment to the AID bill has been written on behalf of many leading Senators that [Page 249] would limit the number of countries receiving aid. We can make no decisions until we know the results of the compromise, how much money we will have and where it can be spent. The Secretary expressed his belief that some of the problems had been resolved, for example, the delayed ammunition had arrived.